Today was groundhog day–fierce winds against me and even colder than yesterday (34 degrees feels-like temperature when I started).  Ironically, the hills didn’t feel as challenging as the previous day but there were more of them.

Early in the trek, I ended up on the worst dirt road ever and ended up walking the bike for half a mile because it was safer than riding. Flat dirt roads are generally manageable.  Steep uphill dirt roads–oh my!

As a man of faith, I took note of the number of one particular state road that I encountered:

I studied the map to see if I could take an alternate route–no luck.  As I took the turn and headed down the mile stretch of this road, I couldn’t help but notice that the birds weren’t singing as much compared to earlier portions of the route.  Strange but true.  Suffice it to say that I was happy when I made the next turn.

As I rode past farm fields, the sound of my bike or rustling American flag often flushed doves out of the brush,  They make a distinctive repetitive chirp when they take flight.  Today, I was surprised then a very large and beautiful pheasant took flight in front me me. I marveled at it’s distinctive tail feathers.

Also, I took note of significant logging operations in the area.  I gave the logging trucks their respect, often pulling off the side of the road.  Here’s a picture of logs stacked a few stories high:

Today’s tally: 65 miles.